Now why do I word it like that? Well, the a6300 was supposed to be a sizable upgrade from the Sony a6000, but Sony really messed up a few things. Namely, the rolling shutter and it overheated like crazy. So what did they do? Well, they made a pretty controversial decision to make a totally different camera. The Sony a6500. So let’s assume that it’s the best of the bunch until another comes along.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s look at what that Sony a6500 can do—and what it can do is incredible.

Cinema5d’s YouTube put out a short film that was shot with the Sony a6500, and while the subjects and film itself isn’t breathtaking, the footage looks incredible.

When I was watching it, I was reminded about how incredibly lucky we are to live in times that give us access to such amazing filmmaking cameras at such incredible prices.

The skin tones captured by the Sony a6500 are pretty amazing, except for the main interview angle in which he’s directly below an off-color light. But that’s not it. When watching in 4k, I’m taken aback, but the subtle sharpness the a6500 possesses.

I’m a strong believer that over-sharpness is the death of plenty of images. It reminds you that you’re looking through the eyes of a camera.

The Sony a6500, and the person that colored the film did a fantastic job at balancing that superb resolution with believable sharpness.

Sony held a shooting event down in Austin, Texas for a small number of bloggers and journalists, so I got to spend some time with the a6500. $1,400 gets you in-body image stabilization, touch auto focus and a couple of things more, but is it the right a6 series for you?

00:00 First footage: Austin Rowing Club01:56 The original a6000: a budget masterpiece03:32 The a6500: an imperfect icon05:50 Rapid, real improvement07:35 What I learned in Austin10:38 A more imperfect human being11:32 First photos, second footage: Skate Boarder & BMX Park11:53 Why the a6500, and why now?13:48 Competition is growing fierce15:47 Inspired by just two lenses: the a6500 shines with non-stabilized lenses17:37 Eye-AF is great – when you have enough light18:23 Third footage, a photographic miss: Ian Moore's set18:47 Let's talk fast primes20:46 A new definition of speed: the shortest distance between intent and delivery25:13 Beyond lenses and ergos: why economizing on cameras is important25:51 Recommendations29:12 The dream30:32 I'm getting close to the 30 minute limit so…30:57 Final footage

Bret Hoy is a filmmaker, photographer and writer based out of St. Louis, Missouri. Mainly focused on documentary and experimental film, he has produced, directed, shot and edited many short films and a few long form works.